Ladyfinger (ne) – Dusk

In the vast, arid landscape of the Desert State of Nebraska, there must be a need to vent some anger. With that in mind, Ladyfinger (ne) turn their guitars up to 11, brandish baseball bats for drumsticks, and sing songs entrenched in epic reverb - yet they retain a curious ability to sit on the fence. It’s hardcore enough to satisfy those with a penchant for tribal tattoos, but with a soft centre that will appeal to the romantics among us: a musical Bubbaloo. The best showcase of their sound is A.D.D, which broods in a dissonant soundscape before launching into an adrenaline-fuelled and life-affirming chorus akin to early Queen of the Stone Age. By the halfway point attention wanders, and once that’s spent Ladyfinger (ne) might find it difficult to awaken you from your daydream. But what Dusk offers in droves is a refreshing ability to fight its way from a pigeonhole. [Gordon Bruce]